Broyhill, Badcock and Wilson Inducted Into American Furniture Hall of Fame

Furniture World Magazine

The new members of the American Furniture Hall of Fame for 2004 were selected from eleven nominated industry leaders at a banquet gala ton October 14, 2004, the opening night of the High Point market. Manufacturer Paul Hunt Broyhill, retailer Wogan S. Badcock, Sr. and furniture representative Plato S. Wilson (trailblazer award) were recognized for their accomplishments in the furniture industry. These three join previous men and women honored by the AFHF. Their photos and biographies will be on display a the Furniture Discovery Center in High Point and their lives will be the subject of the "History and Heroes" video produced each year by AFHF. Extended biographies of the following recipients can be found on the AFHF website www.historyandheroes.com Wogan S. Badcock, Sr. (1898 - 1987) purchased his first furniture store from his father in 1920 and built it into a chain of over 240 stores. The slogan "Badcock Will Treat You Right" has been the company motto since 1904. He was a true pioneer in both the wholesale furniture distribution business and at retail. Badcock also pioneered the franchise concept for retail stores. Paul Hunt Broyhill (1924) past chairman of Broyhill Furniture Industries, worked in the family plants from an early age. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina, and served for three years in the U.S. Army. Under his direction, six million square feet of modern manufacturing facilities were built. He developed an internal "Broyhill University", and an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). Paul was a marketing innovator seeking exposure through national game shows, shelter magazines, and personal appearances at Broyhill Showcase Galleries. Plato S. Wilson, B. (1925) Plato Wilson’s career in sales began when he sold Henry Wilson of Henredon two pages of advertising in Morganton's high school yearbook. Later, when Plato graduated from Duke University, Mr. Wilson, who attended the graduation ceremonies offered him a job selling for Henredon, plus a brand-new car. That was the first of only two jobs in Plato's career. The other was with Henkel-Harris. He is known for his hard work and for helping to educate his retail salespeople so well that they overwhelmed the competition. He produced several ten-million-dollar years and even scored a one million-dollar-day, in a comparatively quiet southern territory. The American Furniture Hall of Fame is an all-industry effort organized to honor those individuals whose outstanding achievements have contributed to the continued growth and development of the American manufactured furniture industry. The AFHF also researches, collects and preserve its cultural, economic and artistic history. For more information call (336) 882-5900 or visit the AFHF website at www.historyandheroes.com.